As a person enters the workforce, they may be liable to complete a workplace drug test. Whether this is a urine, blood, saliva, hair, or fingernail test, drug testing provides accurate results to employers to maintain a safe, compliant work environment. Still, there are many common myths about workplace drug testing employers must know.
“Drug Testing Doesn’t Help Safety”
One of the biggest myths around pre-employment drug testing is that it doesn’t help with workplace safety. The reality is much grimmer. Drug use continually contributes to an unsafe work environment. Any type of substance abuse affects onsite injuries due to lapse in judgment and poor decision-making. Working while impaired significantly increases the risk of accidents to the user and other employees. That’s why one of the best advantages to requiring drug tests for employment is accountability. Employees must remain sober to effectively carry out their responsibilities.
“All Drugs Stay in the System for the Same Amount of Time”
Another common myth is that all substances remain in the body for the same amount of time. While most people view drugs as an umbrella term, different substances have their own detection times. Each substance has its own chemical composition and digestion breakdown—not to mention that personal lifestyles and environmental factors affect detection time. Some drug tests have detection windows for a week of use, while others can detect from six months to a year.
“Drug Tests Are Costly and Unreliable”
The last common myth about workplace drug testing is that drug tests are costly and unreliable. Just because a drug test is affordable does not mean it’s ineffective. Urine tests are the most common, followed by hair, blood, fingernail, and saliva tests. Each one is extremely accurate in its detection of substance abuse. Despite the concern of test adulteration, many of these tests provide highly accurate results for various substances, like marijuana, opiates, PCP, Oxycodone, cocaine, and more. Employers can also use a variety of drug tests in case one was tampered with or provided a false positive.